Mr Alfonsin, striving to keep the alliance intact, argued that the vote would be merely symbolic.

ECONOMIST: Argentina

Yet this year Congress voted to suspend the Alfonsin laws, at least potentially opening the way to fresh prosecutions.

ECONOMIST: Latin American dictatorships??and after

Now the opposition has both hidden from sight Mr Alfonsin, symbol of economic chaos, and stolen Mr Duhalde's welfare clothes.

ECONOMIST: Challenging the Peronists